Top of the tail

I "bricked it" down to the top of the tail!  I know, background is boring, but, it has to be done....tomorrow I will start down the side of the body and see how far I can get!

Row after row

I am working on the Brick stitch background and that is all I did today.  I did manage to get to the berries though.  Correction:  I am using Panache not Patina.  Jane thinks he looks like he is whistling....I can see that!

Getting started

I am working the background on this one in the Brick stitch over two threads, just like the other two, except I am using Patina 02.  It has some sheen to it and he is a small design.  I want him to coordinate with the other two so I did some of the top rows.  I then used five strands of Splendor 820 and did the berries at the top.  I also used five strands of black Splendor and did the face and the right foot print....more tomorrow.

The third bird

Here is the final cardinal by Charley Harper that I will stitch to go into the grouping of three.  He is a happy little guy with a design area of 5 x 8.  I plan on doing him very similar to the other two so the grouping will
"work" together.  Let the needles begin!

Noel

I finished the weaving pattern for the backgrounds on O and E so this piece is stitched.  Thanks to Terri Gifford of Kick Back and Stitch for a gret design!

Full length

I did a full length shot tonight as I finished all the gold lettering and......the background on the N too!  All that is left to do is the background around the O and the E and I hope to get some of it done tomorrow while the turkey starts cooking!  In case I am not around tomorrow I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and joy and laughter with all your families.  BTW, this piece measures 4  x 15.5.

One down

I finished the rest of the patterns on the final block!  I filled in the green with six strands of floss to create the rest of the Beatty stitch.  I then used red Gold Rush to complete the little diamonds by the angles.  I decided to go ahead and do the letter L while I was here and it is worked in #12 Kreinik.  I then used the DMC Perle to create the "woven" background effect.  One down, three to go!

More angles

I did the next set of angles around the diamond.  They are also worked using two needles--this time with four strands of floss and a single strand of Kreinik braid.  Then I moved to the outside and did the Beatty stitch in #16 Kreinik braid.....closer and closer.....

Inner Diamond

I finished the patterns around the inner diamond.  This is worked using two needles, one with a single strand of perle and the other Kreinik.  Alternating needles, the pattern is worked from the top around back to the top and down the right side.  Then I added the bugle bead to the center opening.  I will do the corner patterns tomorrow.

Finished the E

Today, I finished the centers of the E next to the Waffle stitches.  Long straight stitches of Flair are laid in and the green Kreinik between those rows.  A single strand of Pebbly Perle is laid on top of all of those to create the grid like patterns at the four points of the gold square.  I started the Diamond pattern for the L as you can see on the far left.  In case you forgot, I am working this piece on its' side so I can reach all the areas. 

Noel returns

 I got this one back out....it is getting close to Christmas.....so I worked the four waffle stitches in the corners of the Kick Back n Stitch block letter O in the Noel banner. The waffle is worked with Kreinik, Pebbly Perle and two shades of DMC Perle Cotton.   Below is the progress on the entire piece at this point. 

The beads! UPDATE

I added the copper bugle beads to the V at the top.  The very bottom section has black Magnifica beads in alternating directions to follow the flow of the threads.  This finishes the piece and I will get it ready for framing.  Thanks again to Ruth Dilts for the wonderful design and her permission to post it to the blog!

The design area is 5 x 7.5.....why it works so quickly!

The lower sections

I completed the last two sections of stitching.  The Burden stitch is laid in with Neon Rays Plus in black and tacked with #4 Kreinik 021.  The bottom pattern is stitched with Cresta d Oro and Renaissance Designs again.  Next up--Beads!

Back at it!

Yippee!  Time to stitch today!  Instead of filling in the next section with the Cashmere stitch in three metallics, I decided to fill it in with Slanted Gobelin in one color of the Cresta d Oro.  I then did the black Slanted Gobelin stitches in the next area toward the center.  I used Ombre 3200, a variegated thread, for the center "feather" which is worked in the Plaited stitch.  It does remind me of a Frank Lloyd Wright design as some of you have commented in previous posts, and, I really like it!

The cardinals are framed

Maggie just emailed me these photos of the cardinals all matted and framed!  They are in North Carolina for a while but I thought you would like to see her exquisite work!  Thanks, Maggie!

Section I

Section I is done on both sides with the Kreinik # 8 in 021.  I have started the next area in the center three times, and ripped three times.  I don't like how the fibers look next to each other as this area is worked with 3 different ones.   Maybe I can come up with a better combo by tomorrow.

F & G

Section F is the Sprats head which I worked with Cresta D Oro color 42--adding another shade of copper.  I then did the Diagonal Romanian and Knotted Stitch in Black Cresta D Oro for section G.  I started sections I with Kreinik #8 braid in copper 021.  The left one is done and I started on the right one.  Section H is worked in beads and will be worked last to avoid catching all of the fibers on the beads.

Progress!

I got to stitch!  I finished  the Burden stitch area by couching the Neon Rays Plus with the Kreinik #8 copper.  I then did the Rhodes stitch in the center square with Neon Rays Plus again in the black.  The two side panels are filled with Double Upright Cross stitches using Antica in color 8, copper.  Yippee!     A previous comment asked about my stitching in the well of the stretcher bars.  I prefer this method of attaching the canvas for several reasons.  I don't catch threads on the sides of the bars.  If I drop my needle or beads, they don't hit the floor.  It is much easier to end threads on the back as I am not fighting the bars on the back.  I also think it keeps the work clean.  Hope that helps!

Zip, zero

Absolutely no stitching has gotten done the last several days.  I have been busy doing house stuff and working and I don't remember what else.  That ends today.  Tomorrow I will stitch.....thanks for waiting.

More copper

The middle two boxes are filled with Christopher Mosaic stitches and Continental done in Pizazz by Renaissance Designs.  The next two boxes have the base of the Burden stitch done with Neon Rays Plus in black and the  vertical bars are worked on top of the one on the left with #8 Kreinik in 021.

Two full boxes

I finished all of the outlining with the black Cresta d Oro.  I filled in the top two outside boxes using Cresta d Oro in 40, a coppery black and Kreinik # 16 in 021 HL for the Diagonal Cashmere stitch.  I am using stash and changing the piece to a copper and black one.  This is going to be a high shine piece.  DH and I have been to Mystic, CT several times over the last several years and just this past September as well.  This last visit, they were holding their annual garlic festival!  What fun to wander through the crafts, artsists, and food vendors as well as the gardeners that were selling garlic--most of which I had never heard of!

More boxes

Actually, boxes and triangles today.....I was hoping to finish the rest of the outlining but got most of it done.  I should be able to finish the outlining tomorrow and maybe start filling in with stitches.  I think you can see the silver flecks in the canvas in this photo.

A smaller project

The snowbird was a large piece, and I headed into the stash bins looking for a smaller one and found Mystic.  Mystic is by Ruth Dilts  and the design is worked on an 8 x 10 piece of 18 count.....called for white, but I am using white with silver flecks in it.   Oh, and......big surprise.....I am changing the fibers!  The design instructions say to work the outline of the entire piece in Panache, black.  I am using Creta D'Oro, in black in the continental stitch.   I like to work from the stash......I actually thought it was inching towards me the other day.....anyway.... The original design was worked in black with light and dark sandstone and I will be changing those too.....This design has always caught my eye and I picked this up a couple of years ago.  It will work up fast, and I hope you like the color changes I am making.  I will be following all of the stitches Ruth had designed, just in different colors and fibers. Pop on over to her website and check out all the goodies she has waiting for you there!
http://www.ruthdiltsdesign.com/
  Hope you can stay tuned